We kicked off the official start of bbq season this weekend, so I was in the kitchen experimenting with some tasty new side dish ideas. Every summer barbeque needs a pasta salad, and I have a few classic versions I always lean on but decided to mix it up with something fresh. Fresh English peas and sweet snap peas are some of my favorite seasonal veggies, and they were the inspiration for this pasta salad recipe. They got tossed with some fun corkscrew shaped pasta, crispy, salty bits of cooked prosciutto, and a lemony dressing with fresh lemon thyme. The result was a bright, tangy side salad that was perfect for al fresco entertaining – get the full recipe below!
Lemon Thyme, Pea and Prosciutto Pasta Salad.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Rotini or other short pasta
- 1 Cup of Fresh English Peas
- ½ Cup of Snap Peas, thinly sliced
- ¼ Cup of Prosciutto, cubed and cooked until crispy
- ½ Cup of Mayonnaise
- ½ Cup of Olive Oil
- 3-4 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
- 2 Tsp of Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tsp of Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp of Onion Powder
- ½ Tsp of Paprika
- Salt and Pepper
- Heap of Fresh Lemon Thyme Leaves
Instructions
- Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil; cook pasta as directed.
- During the last 2-3 minute of cooking the pasta, add the English peas and thinly sliced snap peas to the boiling water. Drain pasta and peas and transfer to a bowl, toss in crispy prosciutto and let cool until room temperature.
- While the ingredients are cooling, make the dressing. Whisk together mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, and dijon mustard. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder and paprika, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour half of the dressing over the pasta and pea mixture; toss to combine. Continuing adding dressing until your desired coating is reached. Finish with fresh lemon thyme leaves and serve.
